1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photosensitive material processing apparatus for processing a photosensitive material by immersing the photosensitive material in a processing solution contained in a processing tank. More particularly, the invention relates to a photosensitive material processing apparatus wherein feed rollers nip a photosensitive material to transport it into a processing tank.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a photosensitive material processing apparatus for developing a photosensitive material such as photographic printing paper, the photosensitive material is processed by immersing it in a processing solution contained in a processing tank.
The photosensitive material is generally nipped by feed rollers and transported into the processing tank, and processed in the processing solution while being conveyed.
Floating materials such as silver, sulfide, soiling and the like are floating in the processing solution. The floating materials adhere in part to the rollers through deposition or adsorption and are transferred onto the photosensitive material, resulting in deterioration of the quality.
A photofinishing laboratory typically shuts down the apparatus in the evening and starts it again either the next morning or the morning two days later (if, for example, the morning is after a holiday).
When the apparatus which was shut down for a long time is started so that the first photosensitive material to be processed passes between the rollers, the floating materials adhered to the feed rollers may transfer to the photosensitive materials and deteriorate the quality of the photosensitive material.
Further, when photosensitive materials with different widths are processed, only a small amount of floating materials adhere to and accumulate on the areas which frequently nip the photosensitive materials, causing no deterioration of the quality of the photosensitive materials. On the other hand, floating materials accumulate for a long period on the areas which are less frequently used, resulting in the inferior quality of the photosensitive materials.